WORLDS: Inside defending world champion Robert Batlle's buggy

0 Sept. 20, 2014, 5:48 a.m.

9/20/2014
By Aaron Waldron

LiveRC.com

Robert Batlle has dabbled more and more into electric off-road racing, but as he told us in his Talk-It-Up-Tuesday interview, the defending IFMAR World Champion has been a nitro diehard since Day One. With that experience comes the knowledge of what it takes to last through a long week of racing, even when driving a new buggy for its first major race. Here's what we found after peeling off the Lexan of Batlle's MBX7R.

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Inside defending IFMAR World Champion Robert Batlle's Mugen Seiki MBX7R

Chassis: Mugen Seiki MBX7R

Engine: Novarossi Plus 21-4S Keep Off

Pipe: Novarossi 2096

Fuel: Nitrolux 25%

Transmitter: Futaba 4PKS-R

Servos (ST/TH): (sponsored by Xpert RC)

Tires: Procircuit Hot Dices, Blue (Medium)

Body: Mugen Seiki MBX7

Notes: Robert said that his car has been really good and that he's been quite happy with the setup right from the start. Even still, he has gone to stiffer shock springs as well as thicker shock and diff oils, trying to make the car a bit easier to drive at speed. Robert's buggy is a run-of-the-mill MBX7R kit, which has several updates over the car that Robert drove to victory in Buenos Aires, Argentina two years ago. There's a new chassis, new drivetrain gears, new driveshafts, suspension updates, revised steering assembly, a redesigned wing mount, and more. Here are the parts that Robert said have made the biggest difference.

The 4mm 7075 aluminum rear shock tower is new, but the bigger story is the bigger shocks - which have increased in girth from 15mm to 16mm. The new shocks are more consistent over long runs, and the rear shocks are 4mm shorter, which are used in conjunction with the new shorter tower for better rear grip.

The front and rear universal driveshafts greatly improve the platform's handling over rough surfaces.

The sides of the chassis are angled more sharply than the original MBX7 plate, which increases its stiffness for more predictable handling and improved agility.